Folding chair



(Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet l.

E. L. GAYLORD.

FOLDING CHAIR.

No. 330,222. Patented Nov. l0, 1885.

(Model.) u 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. E. L. GAYLORD.

FLDING. HAIR.

N0. 330,222. V PatentedNov. 10, 1885.

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(Model.) 3 sheetssheet 3. E. L. GAYLORD.

FOLDING CHAIR. No. 330,222. Patented Nov. 10, 1885.

FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 330,222, dated November10, 1885.

Application filed February 6, 1885. Serial No. 155,059. (Model.)

To @ZZ whom 7325 may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. GAYLoRD, acitizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport,in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFolding Chairs; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull,

clear, and exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the saine.

My invention relates to certain novel and useful improvements in foldingchairs, but is more especially adapted for use in theaters, publichalls, and the like, where it is advantageous to have as free an exit aspossible, and has for its object to provide a folding` chair which shallbe cheap and durable, readily adjusted to any inclination of door,andwhich, when folded, shall occupy but little. space, leavingpassage-room on all sides thereof, and with these ends in view myinvention consists in the details of construction and combination ofelements hereinafter fully explained, and then specically designated bythe claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which myinvention appertainsmay fully understand its construction and operation, I will proceed todescribe the same in detail, referring by letter to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is afront elevation of a pair of my chairs; Fig. 2, a plan view, one of thechairs being removed to show the frame-work; Fig. 3, a side elevation ofthe chair in its folded position 5 Fig. 4, a front elevation of a pairof chairs folded; Fig. 5, a side elevation of my improvement; Fig. 6, adetail section taken at the line :v x of Fig. 7, and Fig. 7 a detailenlarged plan View of the spring mechanism.

Similar letters denote like parts in thes -v eral figures of thedrawings.

A are legs, four in number, which are bolted to feet B. These legs andfeet are provided with several perforations, C, in a vertical line toenable thelegs to be raised to various heights or to be adjusted toinclined floors.

D is the body of the frame-work,with which ythe legs are cast integral.

E are the chair-seat frames, which are pivoted between uprights F,formed with the body D.

G are braces, which are pivoted to the chairseat frames near their outerends.

H are coil-springs secured to said frames in any ordinary manner, theirfree ends I being adapted to bear against the under side of the braces,so as to keep them in their normal po sition in a plane parallel withsaid frames, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4. The inner or freeextremities of these braces are held by said springs against fins ortracks J, cast with the body D, and have flanges K, which extend alongthe sides of said tracks, as shown at Figs. l and 4..

L are stops at the lower portions of the tracks,and against which theends of the braces abut, as will be presently explained.

When the chair seat frames are thrown down to a horizontal position, asshown at Fig. 1 ,the braces will slide along the tracks against theaction of the springs and abut against the stops, thus affording anexceedingly strong and substantial bracket-support for the said frames.f The backs of the chairs are secured to supports M, which are pivotedto ears N, projecting upward from the frames E. To thesesupports arepivoted the arms O of the chairs. These arms may or may not be providedwith pivoted braces such as shown. I prefer to make the central armwithout abrace, so that it can be readily thrown back out of the way tomake room for wraps, overeoats, 8vo.`

The seats of the chairs are pivoted to the frames E, so as to swing backand down in the usual manner.

The operation of my improvement is as follows: To close the chairs, thebacks are thrown down flat against the seats, and the seat-frames aithen thrown up into the positionshown at .igs. 3 and 4, the action ofthe springs causing the braces to be held iirmly against the tracks J,thereby keeping the said frames in this elevated position.

The springs H are arranged around short shafts P, (see Fig. 6,)journaled between lugs Q, fastened to the frames E, andthe sides selvesof the frames. These shafts e through the frames, and form one of thotal points of the braces G.

R is a ratchet-wheel secured to or formed integral with said shaft. Oneend of the spring is rigidly secured to the ratchet-wheel and the IOOother end bears against the under side of the brace, as above set forth.

S is a detent pivoted to the frame and operating against the teeth ofthe ratchet in the usual manner.

.When it is desired to tighten the coils of the spring, the ratchet isturned by anysuitable wrench or other means.

I do not wish to confine myself to any particular kind of spring, or tothe manner shown of utilizing the same, as any spring bearing againstthe under side of the brace would be equally effective, the object beingto balance the weight of the chair and to keep the brace in properposition.

By, the use of my improvement aisles may readily be formed throughoutall parts of a theater or public hall as well as around the chairsthemselves by simply folding the chairs. The peculiar construction ofthe body and the manner of bracing enables me to provide not onlyL auexceedingly strong and serviceable cha'r, but also a vcry cheap one,simple inits manipulation, and most advantageous in its use.

I am aware that folding chairs are not new, broadly, and that there areseveral that fold together, but in a different way from the inannershown and described in this application, and I wish to be understood asconfining myself to the novel style of folding chair which I haveshown-namely, one in which the back must be thrown down against the seatbefore the latter is thrown in a vertical position.

AHaving thus described my inve11tion,wliat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. rlhe combination, with a single supporting-standard, of a pair ofchair-seat frames pivoted at their inner ends to said standard andthereby adapted to swing' vertically toward each other, and the chairbacks pivoted to said frames and adapted to be thrown forward downagainst the seats, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a single supporting-standard, of a pair ofchair-seat frames pivoted at their inner ends between pairs of uprightsextending from said standard to the front and rear of said frames,braces pivoted to the frames near the outer extremities of the latter,spring mechanism adapted to force the free ends of said braces againsttracks on the standard, and a stop formed on said standard at the baseof the track, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a pair of chairs supported on a single stan dard, the combination,with the seat-frames capable of being swung from their normal positionvertically toward each other, of the chair-backs pivoted to the framesand adapted to be thrown forward against the seats, substantially asspecified.

4:. The combination of the body D, having tracks J and stops L, framesE, braces G, spring H, and the back-supports M, pivoted between ears N,projecting from the frames, substantially as set forth.

5. The coil-springs H,arranged around short shafts P, journaled betweenthe sides of the frames, and lugs Q, projecting from the frames, incombination with the braces G, against the under sides of which the freeends of the springs bear, the ratchet-wheel R, secured to or formed withthe shaft and to which the inner end of the spring is secured, anddetent S, pivoted to the frame, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD L. GAYLORD.

Witnesses:

S. S. WILLIAMSON, W. T. HAVILAND.

